(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to treatment of fibrous cellulosic material with chemical vapors of glycidol or chemicals that produce glycidol. More specifically, this invention relates to the treatment of carboxymethylated (CM-) or diethylaminoethylated (DEAE-) cotton with vapors of glycidol to obtain improved conditioned (dry) and wet wrinkle recoveries.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, both wet and conditioned states of cellulosic fabrics, such as cotton, have been improved by reaction with compounds which release formaldehyde (Ref. E. J. Gonzales, et al., American Dyestuff Reporter 54, 105-108 [1965]) and with compounds such as diepoxides and epichlorohydrin (Ref. T. Francis, et al., Textile Research Journal 33 [8], 583-599 [1963], and G. R. Ferrante, Textile Research Journal 35 (5), 446-452 [1965]).
In the prior art the reagent in the vapor state has been used with an added catalyst. In addition, the reagents used to produce wrinkle recovery in cotton are irritating, toxic, and in the case of epichlorohydrin, can result in explosive mixtures with cotton amine catalysts (Ref. J. C. Williams, Chemistry & Industry 28, page 994 [1971]). The difunctional epoxide reagents used thus far in the prior art of vapor phase applications result in increased wet recovery in cotton but little improvement in dry or conditioned recovery. The prior art teaches that monofunctional epoxides, that is, monoepoxides, even those such as ethylene oxide, which is a gas at room temperature, do not produce wet and dry crease recovery in cotton (Ref. J. B. McKelvey, "Cotton Modification with Oxiranes (Epoxides," Merrow Publishing Co., Ltd., Watford, Herts, England, pages 1-42 [1971]).
While epichlorohydrin is, in the strict sense, a monoepoxide, it contains a labile halogen which makes it difunctional in the usual base-catalyzed reactions reported in the prior art. It does not react with cellulose in the presence of acids under safe or practical conditions of temperature and pressure. When epichlorohydrin does react with cotton, it raises the wet recovery substantially, but it only raises the dry recovery slightly, if at all. Also, in prior art, glycidol, a true monoepoxide, has been reacted with cotton using external base catalysis, but only the wet wrinkle recovery was improved (Ref. J. B. McKelvey, "Cotton Modification with Oxiranes (Epoxides)," Merrow Publishing Co., Ltd., Watford, Herts, England, pages 1-42 [1971]). In prior art diethylaminoethylated cotton fabric (DEAE-cotton) has been reacted with several epoxides, but the reactions with monoepoxides did not improve the dry wrinkle recovery. Also in the prior art, ethylene carbonate and propylene carbonate have been used as the liquid for improving wrinkle recovery. Glycerine carbonate as the liquid was not included in that aspect of the prior art because although also a cyclic carbonate, it reacts differently to the aforementioned two.